Gators Guard Zyon Pullin Suspended First Three Games of 2023-24 Season
The NCAA handed down a three-game suspension to Gators transfer guard Zyon Pullin to begin the 2023-24 season on Friday. Pullin will miss Florida's opening contests against Loyola Maryland (Nov. 6), Virginia (No. 10) and Florida A&M (Nov. 14), as a result.
The penalty stems from to his participation in the Portsmouth Invitational — a pre-draft showcase designed for college seniors who exhausted their eligibility — prior to his decision to return for his fifth collegiate season and transfer to Florida.
"It was a crazy recruiting process," Pullin said on Sept. 14. "I wasn't sure if I was going to stay in (the draft process) or come to college. Ultimately, I felt that coming back to college was the best decision for me moving forward. I kind of went through the process and narrowed it down and picked out the school I thought was best for me."
CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein was first to report the news. According to Swamp247's Jacob Rudner, Todd Golden and the UF staff were privy to the situation prior to the news going public on Friday.
Pullin, who averaged 18.3 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game a year ago, is a prominent addition to the Gators backcourt for the 2023-24 season.
Possessing a 6-foot-4, 206-pound frame and multifaceted skillset at the point guard position, Pullin earned positive pre-draft buzz regarding his potential jump to the NBA following four years at UC Riverside, explaining his uncertainty about a return to the collegiate game. After electing to maintain his eligibility for a final season, his aforementioned intangibles and talents made him a heavily sought-after backcourt talent on the transfer market this offseason.
Florida, searching for an experienced scorer with the ability to facilitate and control the offense, pinned down Pullin as a top target before ultimately securing his pledge on June 7.
The Gators anticipate an improved product offensively behind the Pleasant Hill, Calif., native's leadership in 2023-24 compared to a season ago. The unit will play more out of its backcourt than it did a year ago on that end of the floor as a result.
In Pullin's absence, Golden and Co. will look to fellow transfer addition Walter Clayton Jr. to occupy the starting spot at the one while team's star piece, Riley Kugel, slides into the two for the time being.
Sophomore Denzel Aberdeen has also impressed the staff with his progression this offseason and will likely see a voluminous role in Pullin's absence as a depth pieces off the bench. True freshman Kajus Kublickas — a late addition to the roster from Lithuania — could also carve out a role in the rotation given his vast international experience at Zalgiris, a powerhouse in the region.
"I feel like we have a lot of guys who can play it and we feel fortunate in that position," Golden said on Tuesday when asked about the team's point guard position.
"Zyon is a guy who's played the position his whole life, really stable, really good player. Denzel is really stepping up and making a jump going into his sophomore year and Walter Clayton's a guy who can play the point and do it very well. So those three guys there, specifically. Then Kajus is a freshman but he can really handle it and run a team. We have a number of guys who can do it and it's an area I really think will be a strength for us this year."
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